The Camp Nou Stadium The Camp Nou Stadium Camp Nou Stadium Camp Nou (Catalan for "new field", often reversed in English to become Nou Camp) is a football (soccer) stadium in Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain. It has a capacity of 98,787 - making it the largest stadium in Europe. The stadium is the home ground of FC Barcelona . Its official name was Estadi del FC Barcelona (translates as FC Barcelona Stadium) until 2000, when the club membership vote to change the official name to the popular nick name Camp Nou. Opposite Camp Nou is the Palau Blaugrana, the stadium for indoor sports and adjacent is the Ice Rink, the stadium for ice based sports. Just behind the complex is the Mini Estadi, the stadium where the FC Barcelona B plays its games. Mes que un Club!! History Barcelona had outgrown their old stadium, Camp de Les Corts which held 60,000 supporters and the Camp Nou, built between 1954 and 1957, was designed by architects Francesc Mitjans-Miró, Lorenzo García Barbon and Josep Soteras Mauri.

FC Barcelona won their first game at Camp Nou in impressive fashion, a 4-2 victory against Legia Warsaw with Eulogio Martínez scoring the first goal at the new stadium. Over 90,000 fans were present at this momentous occasion. The capacity has varied between 93,053 at its opening to 120,000 for the 1982 FIFA World Cup before the outlawing of standing sections at the stadium brought the capacity to below 99,000 in the late 1990s. Camp Nou on matchday The stadium's facilities include a memorabilia shop, mini pitches for training matches, and a chapel for players. The stadium also houses the most visited museum in Catalonia, El Museu del Barça, which receives about 1.200.000 visits per year. The museum was inaugurated in 1984 under the presidence of Josep Lluís Nuñez. The museum shows 1.420 pieces about FC Barcelona's history, of which 420 are trophies. The inauguration ceremony of the 1982 World Cup was held on June 13.

In front of a 100,000 strong crowd, Belgium beat Argentina 1-0. The FC Barcelona Camp Nou Stadium (Barça) see map Address: Avinguda Aristides Maillol, s/n 08028, Barcelona. HOW TO GET TO THE CAMP NOU STADIUM BY PUBLIC TRANSPORT? Bus lines: 7, 15, 43, 67, 68, 74, 75, L12, L50, L60 and L62. Metro: Line 3 (Get off at Maria Cristina or Les Corts) and Line 5 (Get off at Collblanc or Badal). Video: Inauguration of the Camp Nou 24/09/1957 Camp Nou Stadium FC Barcelona, more than a club You are here: barcelona.de > Interesting facts > FC Barcelona, more than a club FC Barcelona, more than a club Barça is a club with a long tradition and a chequered history The FC Barcelona is a club with many superlatives: with approximately 162,000 members it is the second largest sports club in the world.

With Camp Nou it owns the largest football stadium in Europe and no other European football club has more fan communities. In 2009/10, the team made a profit of 9 million € on a turnover of 445 million €. For the Catalans, the FC Barcelona is one of the most important icons of the Catalan national pride. It is also a symbol of resistance against the suppression they had to experience, especially by the Franco regime. With these facts in mind, and true to the club’s motto „More than a club“, we now want to tell you the about the history and backgrounds of the FC Barcelona. The FC Barcelona - more than 100 years of history Tickets for games of FC Barcelona A home game of FC Barcelona at Camp Nou, Europe's largest stadium, is a special experience. Tickets for the Camp Nou Experience Since its foundation in 1899, the FC Barcelona has experienced many ups and downs: Sporting successes like winning the Champions League and five cups in one year are just two of the many highlights. On the other hand, the club’s president Josep Suñol being murdered by Franco’s soldiers was one of many downs in the history of the traditional club.

Foundation of the FC Barcelona by the Swiss Hans "Joan" Gamper Hans-Max Gamper was born in Winterthur, Switzerland on November 22, 1877. After his mother died, the family of the keen sportsman moved to Zurich. He liked riding the bike, running and playing rugby, tennis and golf and even was captain of the football team FC Basel. In 1897, work took him to Lyon. Just one year later he was supposed to go to Africa where he wanted to help setting up sugar trading companies. On his way there (back then there were no scheduled flights) he visited his uncle Emili Gaissert in Barcelona. Gamper fell in love with the city, learned Spanish and Catalan and adopted the Catalan version of his name, Joan. Joan Gamper edited the sports magazine Los Deportes ("sports"), in which on October 22 in 1899 he placed an advert declaring his wish to found a football club in Barcelona. There was a large positive feedback.

On November 29, a couple of Swiss, British, Catalan and Spanish football enthusiasts met and the FC Barcelona was born, the founding members being Joan Gamper, Pere Cabot, Enric Ducal, Otto Kunzle, Otto Maier, Josep Llobet, Lluís d'Ossó, John Parsons, William Parsons, Carles Pujol, Bartomeu Terradas and Gualteri Wild. The first president of the club was the Englishman Gualteri Wild, Gamper played in the team as captain. The FC Barcelona lost its very first match against English immigrants 0-1. Some of the English players though were borrowed from the FC Barcelona. In 1908, Gamper became president of the club. He would occupy this position five times until 1925. One of his main achievements was the construction of the first stadium La Escopidora with capacity for 6,000 spectators. It was opened on Carrer d´ Indústria on March 14, 1909 and was the first stadium with floodlight in Spain.

Until then, the FC Barcelona had played on fields near the Hotel Casanova, around Carretera d´Horta and Carrer Muntaner. At that time the FC Barcelona counted approximately 600 members. Around the FC Barcelona Results and table of the Primera División Gamper´s final presidency ended in a controversy. On June 25 in 1925, during an international match against England, Catalan fans jeered the Spanish national anthem and applauded the English one. The dictator Prima de Rivera – a fan of Real Madrid – accused Gamper of promoting Catalan nationalism, expelled him from Spain and closed the stadium for six months. Ever since this event, the FC Barcelona considers itself the national team of Catalonia. Even today, for many Catalans the Spanish national team does not represent the region of Catalonia. This attitude has changed somewhat, though not essentially, when Catalan players represented a large part of the Spanish national team in the UEFA European Football Championship in 2008. After being expelled, Gamper returned to Switzerland. He suffered from depression and committed suicide on July, 1930, aged 52. In Barcelona, a street was named after him and his FC Barcelona number was being retired forever.

The Golden Age from 1919 to 1929 In 1922, the new stadium El Camps dels Corts with a capacity of 30,000 was inaugurated. In that decade, the FC Barcelona experienced many sporting highlights here: in 1929 they won the first ever national league game (La Liga), eight times the Catalan League and five times the Spanish Cup. The stadium’s capacity was expanded to 60,000 later, and it was dubbed “Cathedral of football”. The 1930s and the years of the Spanish Civil War In the early 1930s, the FC Barcelona went through difficult times and faced a crisis on three fronts: The team got into financial trouble, the number of members dropped and on the sporting side, success evaded them, too. The fascist dictator Primo de Rivera who also had expelled Gamper from Spain closed the stadium, which served as a military camp during the Spanish Civil War.

A month after the beginning of the Spanish Civil War (July 1936 to April 1939), the team’s president Josep Sunyol was murdered by Franco’s soldiers on August 6, 1936. At that time the team was on a tour in Mexico and the USA though half of the team had already seeked exile in Mexico and France. On March 16, 1938, a bomb was dropped on the club building and caused big damages. In March 1940, the chair was replaced by Franco-devoted officials, and the name Futbol Club Barcelona, an Anglicism, was changed to the Spanish “Club de Fútbol Barcelona”. At this moment, the FC Barcelona was down to just 3,500 members. The four red stripes of the club emblem were replaced by two stripes. It was not before 1973 that the club got back its original name. Growing success in the 1940s In the 1940s, the CF Barcelona enjoyed considerable sporting success. From near relegation, the club won the championship in 1940.

Until 1949, the 50th anniversary of FC Barcelona, the club had around 25,000 members and won 21 Catalan Championship matches, 9 trophies and 4 times the Spanish Primera División (First Division) title. Barça of the Five Trophies During the season of 1951/52, Barça won five trophies: La Liga, la Copa del Rey, the Latin Cup, the Eva Duarte trophy and the Martini Rossi trophy. The team of those days is called the “Barça of the Five Trophies“. The permanent success led to increasing membership numbers. In 1950, the FC Barcelona counted 30,000 members. The stadium Camp Nou The number of members of the FC Barcelona and of their fans kept rising in the 1950s so that soon a new, larger stadium was needed. On September 24, 1957, the new stadium Camp Nou with a capacity for 90 000 spectators was inaugurated after three years of construction. During the first three years in the new stadium, the team was rather unsuccessful, but the number of members never stopped growing.

One of the biggest attractions of following Barça was its increasing symbolism of Catalan identity. About the Camp Nou Camp Nou, the stadium of FC Barcelona, is the largest in Europe. And it is aggravated further. Visiting the stadium The construction of the new stadium was overshadowed by the club’s financial troubles. The estimated construction costs of approx. 66.6 million pesetas were exceeded by 221.4 million pesetas. Mortgages and short-term credits had to be raised. Further help came from the penyes, the fan communities, which is why today they have quite a say when it comes to club matters. In 2003, the English architect Norman Foster was assigned to extend the stadium’s capacity by another 30 000 seats. There is more information on Camp Nou on our website " The Camp Nou stadium of Barcelona ". The FC Barcelona´s club motto: "Més que un club" (More than a club) It was president Narcís de Carreras who proclaimed the slogan "Barça, més que un club" in his presidential acceptance speech in January of 1968 that is still today the motto of the club.

Barça was more than just a sports club, despite or maybe because of the restrictions and despotism the club had to suffer during the Franco regime. It turned into a symbol of the Catalan striving for independence and the opposition against the Franco regime. With this symbol, Carreras showed the solidarity between the club and his Catalan fans. The FC Barcelona was very popular in these days and the number of new members increased enormously, thus the club gained political influence in Barcelona. This way, a new president could be appointed who was not a Franco-devoted official. Free elections could not be held at this time. President Agustí Montal i Costa (1969–1977), Carrera’s successor, kept on leading the club with the new motto. He fought against the restrictions that Franco’s sport authority had enforced upon the club and for democracy within the athletic unions and clubs. He thus went on a straight collision course with the sport authority. The decade of the Dutchman Johann Cryuff and the „dream team“ (1976-1996) After severe discussions with the sport authority, a new player, the Dutchman Johann Cruyff, joined the team in 1973.

The authority had established random regulations on the status of foreign players with Spanish parents. Still, Cruyff played his first match on October 28, 1973. He quickly won the hearts of the Catalan fans having chosen Barça over Real Madrid and a Catalan name for his son Jordi (the name of the patron saint of Catalonia). He helped the club win on several occasions and soon became one of the most important personalities in the history of the Barça. 1974, in the year of its 75th anniversary, with Cryuff´s help the FC Barcelona won the Spanish championship and – probably even more important – defeated Read Madrid 5-0 at their Bernabéu stadium. Three years after Franco’s death, democracy was introduced to the FC Barcelona just as Agusti Montal had demanded: In 1978, Josep Lluís Núñez was elected president of the FC Barcelona in the first open elections with the members of the club voting. It was a tight victory over two other candidates, and Josep Lluís Núñez remained in office until 2000, being the longest-serving president in the entire history of the club.

In the late 1980s, the FC Barcelona once again was unsuccessful. It came to a rebellion of the players against president Núñez known as the Motín de Hesperia (Hesperia Mutiny) in which the team demanded the board’s resignation. The situation changed when in 1988 Johan Cryuff returned to the FC Barcelona as trainer. He started introducing new playing methods and reassembled the team. Under Cryuff’s guidance, the FC Barcelona won four consecutive La Liga titles from 1991 to 1994 and for the first time the European Cup in 1992. The sporting success of the team in its present constellation was so great that it went down in the history of the FC Barcelona as the “Dream Team”. In 1994 the era of the “Dream Team” ended with the defeat in the UEFA Champions League final in Athens. By the time the World Cup of 1992 took place, the capacity of the stadium was enlarged and the Miniestadi (small stadium) was built next to it for the second team.

The period after Cruyff from 1996 until today The circumstances of Cruyff´s leaving the FC Barcelona were extremely disputed and led to fan outrage against the board. Finally, disputes after the Cruyff era – and little sporting success in the season 1999/2000 after the club had celebrated its centenary and won the Primera División title in 1999 – finally led to the resignation of president Josep Lluís Nuñez in 2000. His successor was Joan Gaspart who until then had been vice president of the club for 22 years. He was not re-elected in 2003. On January 15, 2003, the lawyer Joan Laporta won the presidential election, introducing a new era in which he replaced many players of the team. The FC Barcelona hired super stars such as Ronaldinho, Messi, Eti and Deco and won La Liga in 2005, 2006, 2009 and 2010 and the Champions League in 2006 and 2009.

In June 2010 Sandro Rosell took over the presidency of the traditional club The values of the club with its motto “More than a club” were redefined in 2006, when the FC Barcelona announced its commitment to UNICEF. In 2006, the number of memberships reached more than 150,000. Today the FC Barcelona is the second largest sports club in the world and is at the top of the UEFA ranking before Madrid. Barca’s most successful time under coach Josep Gardiola The four years under coach Josep Gardiola are considered the most successful period in FC Barcelona’s history. Gardiola – who himself played on the FC Barcelona "Dream Team" under Cryuff - coached the club from 2008 to 2012. During this time, Barca won 14 titles: these include Spanish championships (2009, 2010, 2011), Champions League victories (2009, 2011), Spanish Cups (2009, 2012), Spanish Super Cup (2009, 2010, 2011).

His assistant coach Tito Vilanova takes over training of the senior team for next season. The FC Barcelona Foundation Football is a global phenomenon. The number of fans of the FC Barcelona not only grows in Catalonia, Spain and Europe but everywhere in the world. There are officially registered FC Barcelona fan clubs all over the globe. The FC Barcelona, which also sees itself as a defender of justice and freedom, wants to respond to the enthusiasm of fans all over the world. Barça wants to be more than an international club and has set up the non-profit Foundation FC Barcelona in 2006 to which it donates 0,7 per cent of its ordinary income. In collaboration with UNICEF, the club will pursue the UN Millennium Development Goals with its foundation. For five years, the players will have the UNICEF logo on their shirts instead of a sponsor’s logo. Rivalries between the FC Barcelona and Real Madrid As the FC Barcelona until nowadays sees itself as a symbol of independence, democracy and opposition against suppression, the Read Madrid was seen as the symbol of the hated central government.

Studying the checkered history of the club, it is understandable that there was a special rivalry between the FC Barcelona and Real Madrid – for the Catalans, Real Madrid was “more than a club”, too. Nowadays, Madrid can certainly not be seen as a symbol of a totalitarian government – the political dimension of the rivalry shifted to a sporting one. For many fans, the home match against Read Madrid is one of the most important dates of the year and within no time, the stadium is sold out completely. The symbols of the FC Barcelona The club emblem Since their first match, the players of the FC Barcelona had an emblem on their shirts. The original one was the coat of arms of Barcelona surrounded by two branches, one of a laurel tree and one of a palm tree, and a bat and a crown on top of it. In 1910, a new emblem was introduced after a competition. It is still in use today but over the time faced some modernizations - the last one in 2002 when the shape were made simpler. The most significant changes came about during the Franco regime: the letters FCB were replaced by CFB to reflect the way the club was forced to use the Spanish version of its name.

The dictatorship also obliged the club to remove two of the four red bars. On occasion of the club´s 75th anniversary, the four bars returned. In 1947, the emblem reverted to its original design of 1910. The shirt colors of the FC Barcelona Scarlet and blue have featured on the club shirt ever since the FC Barcelona lost its first match against a team of English immigrants (among them some members of the FC Barcelona) by 0-1. Still today, the colours represent all sport sections of the FC Barcelona. One of the most popular theories is that Joan Gamper, the founder of the team, adopted the colours scarlet and blue from his previous club, the FC Basel. Though the colours and shirts of the FC Basel and the FC Barcelona are absolutely identical, there is no proof of this theory. Barça´s hymn The present hymn was first played at the occasion of the last match during the anniversary year 1974. The text surely is no literary masterpiece - but it doesn´t have to. Quickly it became so popular that the other hymns, introduced in 1923, 1949 and 1957, were soon forgotten.

Singing the hymn “El Cant del Barça" right before the start of a match is an established ritual at Camp Nou. You can find the English translation on the right-hand side. Other sport sections of the FC Barcelona The Futbol Club Barcelona became known for its internationally very successful football team. But several other sports are part of the club, too, which in their respective leagues and international competitions are often as successful as the football team. These include basketball, futsal (indoor football), handball, roller hockey, ice hockey, field hockey, cycling, rugby, volleyball and wheelchair basketball.

The sporting successes of Barça's football team International competitions UEFA Champions League (1992, 2006, 2009, 2011) UEFA Cup Winner's Cup (1979, 1982, 1989, 1997) Inter-Cities Fairs Cup (1958, 1960, 1966) Latin Cup (Copa Latina) (1949, 1952) Domestic competitions Primera División (La Liga) (22 wins, last 2013) Copa del Rey (Spanish Cup) (26 wins, last 2012) Supercopa de España (10 wins, last 2011) Campeonato de Catalunya (Catalan cup untill 1959) (10 wins) In addition, several wins in competitions no longer are held. Tickets for home matches of the FC Barcelona Tickets for home matches of the FC Barcelona are being sold at different prices. A ticket for a top clash against Real Madrid is more expensive than a ticket for a match against a relegation battler.

Click here to order tickets for a home match of the FC Barcelona . For a fee you can have the tickets sent to your hotel in Barcelona. Alternatively, you can pick them up free of shipping costs directly at the Pickup Point of the FC Barcelona. The Pickup Point has a very central location and can be found easily. Please note that tickets are often sold out 1-3 weeks before the date of the game, especially the cheaper categories. More about Barcelona Camp Nou - Barcelona - The Stadium Guide The Stadium Guide Club: FC Barcelona | Opening: 1957 | Capacity: 99,354 seats History and description Camp Nou was built between 1954 and 1957, and officially opened on the 24th of September 1957 with a match between FC Barcelona and a selection of players from the city of Warsaw. The stadium replaced Barcelona’s previous ground Camp de les Corts , which, though it could hold 60,000 supporters, was still too small for the growing support of the club. Camp Nou initially consisted of two tiers that could hold 93,000 spectators.

It was first called Estadi del FC Barcelona, but got soon referred to as Camp Nou. The stadium was, together with Estadio Santiago Bernabeu , playing venue of the Euro 1964 Championships. It hosted the semi-final between the Soviet Union and Denmark (3-0), and the match for third place between Hungary and the same Denmark (3-1). The stadium hosted two Cup Winners’ Cup finals in the following decades, the first in 1972 between Glasgow Rangers and Dynamo Moscow (3-2), and the second in 1982 between Barcelona and Standard de Liège (2-1). Camp Nou got expanded with a third tier for the 1982 World Cup, which raised capacity to 120,000 places. During the World Cup, it hosted the opening match between Belgium and Argentina (1-0), three matches in the second group stage, and the semi-final between Italy and Poland (2-0). In 1989, Camp Nou hosted the European Cup final between AC Milan and FC Steaua (4-0), which was followed in 1999 by the Champions League final between Manchester United and FC Bayern (2-1).

In the early 1990s, Barcelona started converting various standing areas into seating, which reduced capacity, though additional seats were created by lowering the pitch. Until the late 1990s, Camp Nou still had some standing areas at the top of the third tier, but these were finally eliminated, reducing capacity to just below 100,000. In contrast to the Bernabéu, Camp Nou has changed relatively little since its inauguration and lacks many of the modern facilities common in most stadiums these days. For the last decade, Barcelona have therefore been investigating either redeveloping Camp Nou, or even building a completely new stadium. In the mid 2000s, the club presented plans for a renovated Camp Nou, designed by Norman Foster, but a lack of funding prevented realisation. The club next started studying a move to a new stadium, but finally decided in 2014 to redevelop the current stadium. The redevelopment will entail the reconstruction of the first tier resulting in a steeper tier with better views, the extension of the top tier over the whole of the stadium, the construction of a roof to cover all seats, and expansions and improvements to the interior of the stadium aimed at providing better facilities.

The resulting capacity will be slightly higher at a little over 105,000 seats. Works are planned to start in 2017 and gradually performed over four seasons to finish in 2021. (photos of the present Camp Nou below) How to get to Camp Nou Camp Nou is located in the east of Barcelona, at about 5 kilometres from Barcelona’s historic city centre. The stadium is part of a sports complex that also includes Barcelona’s Mini Estadi. The stadium is easy to reach by metro . Various stations lie close to the stadium and from all of them it takes an approximate 10-minute walk to reach the stadium. From Barcelona’s city centre one can take metro line 3. Take the metro in the direction of Zona Universitària and get off at station Les Corts. The next two stations, Maria Cristina and Palau Reial, are equal alternatives. The journey from the centre takes about 25 minutes. If coming from the area around the Sagrada Familia, one can take metro line 5. Take the metro in the direction of Cornellà Centre and get off at station Badal or Collblanc.

If arriving by car from the Ronda da Dalt (the motorway that runs west of Barcelona), take exit 11 and follow the Avenida Diagonal (B-23) toward the city. Keep right on the Avenida Diagonal (right of the tram tracks) and after almost two kilometres turn right onto the Calle de Sabino Arana (follow the FC Barcelona signs). Follow the bend to the left (don’t take the tunnel), and turn right onto the Gran Via de Carlos III. Follow for a few hundred metres and turn right onto the Travesía de las Cortes. After another few hundred metres you will see the stadium on your right. If coming from the A-2 (west), take the B-23 into the city, which will automatically flow into the Avenida Diagonal. Address: Calle Arístides Mallol 12, 08028 Barcelona Eat, drink, and sleep near Camp Nou Camp Nou is situated in a rather dense urban area (especially toward the east and south), and one can therefore find the typical local Spanish bars and restaurants in the vicinity of the stadium.

The options pale, however, in comparison with what can be found in the centre, which is a short metro ride away. Most eating and drinking in Barcelona is centered in the historic centre (Gothic Quarter, El Born, and Raval), and there is more nightlife in the nearby beach and port areas. There is a wide selection of hotels, hostels, and rental apartments in the area around Camp Nou. Most are the typical tourist hotels and reasonably affordable. Hotel NH Rallye overlooks the stadium and gets good reviews. Hotel Madanis and Hotel Madanis Liceo come in a similar price category of between €60.00 and €80.00 per night. Hotel Catalonia Rigoletto and Princesa Sofia Gran Hotel are more luxuruous alternatives, whereas Hotel L’Alguer is somewhat more basic, and hence cheaper. Click here for an overview of hotels near Camp Nou. There are also many hotels near Plaça d’Espanya , which is on both metro lines 3 and 5, and of course in Barcelona’s historic centre .

FC Barcelona Tickets Tickets for Barcelona games can be bought online, through the official website or Ticketmaster , at the ticket windows (taquillas) of Camp Nou, or through any of the other sales outlets, which include the local tourist offices and club stores. There are club stores on the Carrer de Provença 439 near the Sagrada Familia, on Plaça de Catalunya, and Maremagnum shopping centre in Barcelona’s city centre. If tickets remain, these can be bought at the ticket windows of the stadium on the day of the match (near gate 9). Barcelona sell out very few games per season, typically only El Clásico and high-profile Champions League matches. Tickets for El Clásico can only be bought by club members, and to get these one therefore needs to revert to the secondary market or use one of the many licensed agencies. The likes of viagogo and Ticketbis offer lots of choice and tend to be reliable, though needless to say that prices are high. Their prices for regular matches tend to be more competitive though, and can even be cheaper than face value so offer an alternative for the official route.

Ticket prices depend on the opponent as Barcelona have divided their home games into six different pricing categories. Most tickets fall into one of four (A-D) categories, but prices are higher for Real Madrid (A++), Valencia, (A+), and the last match of the season. Tickets for category D matches, the cheapest, range from €29.00 for a seat at the upper tier to €109.00 for a central middle-tier seat at the main stand. Tickets for category A matches range from €59.00 to €169.00, and tickets for A+ and A++ games will be even more expensive. You can find a seating map here . Camp Nou stadium tours Barcelona offer self-guided stadium tours, called the Camp Nou Experience, which include a walk through the stadium with audio guide and access to the Barcelona museum. Private guides are available against additional payment. The Camp Nou Experience typically takes between 90 and 120 minutes.

The tour opens Monday to Saturday from 10:00 am to 6:30 pm (half an hour to an hour longer in the summer months) and on Sundays until 2:30 pm (all day in the summer months). There are no tours on the day of a match and there is limited access the day before a Champions League match. The tour costs €23.00, which includes the museum. No reservations are required for groups of under 20 people, but they can still be made online . For more information call +34 93 496 36 00 (902 1899 00 from Spain) or email museu@fcbarcelona.cat . Photos of Camp Nou FcBarcelona.es – Official website of FC Barcelona. Barcelonaturisme.com – Official tourism website for the city of Barcelona. TMB.cat – Barcelona public transport information and journey planner. Keep up to date with the latest stadium news by following @stadiumguide on Twitter (all updates) or liking our Facebook page (occasional updates).

Reviews (16) Barcelona FC Tour: Guide To Football Stadium and Museum Tour Guide To The Barcelona FC Stadium Tour With Museum Visit Page Content Each year thousands of football fans from all over the world flock to Camp Nou - the home of Barcelona FC. Barcelona FC's Camp Nou Stadium With the stadium's capacity of almost 100,000 people, the grounds are a Mecca for football fans around the world. I visited the stadium on a normal Thursday afternoon in February to find out all about the now infamous Barcelona FC Stadium and Museum Tour. This tour is the most popular of all tours in Barcelona. There was no match taking place on the day that I visited, but still crowds of fans were at the stadium, paying their respects to the 'shrine to football' in Barcelona. It's true to say that Camp Nou is more than just a stadium, just as Barcelona FC is said to be 'more than just a club'. Barcelona FC stadium tour tickets online An Overview of the Tour What I realised after taking the Barcelona FC stadium tour was that you get a real feel for what it must be like behind the scenes at the club.

You can see exactly what is would be like from the players and managers point of view which adds a whole new dimension to your experience when watching a match or interview. Sit in the VIP chairs The Barcelona FC Camp Nou Experience tour ticket gives you access to the 'behind the scenes' action at the club as well as access to the FC museum and the multimedia centre. The tour is 'self-guided', meaning that there are no tour guides. Rather, you will be guided through the museum by bright yellow barriers, ensuring that you go the right way around the tour. Security guards/attendants are dotted along the route and can direct you if necessary, however they are unable to answer fact-based questions about what is on show. Club photos on display Information about the tour is provided on boards along the route. However if you want to gain a more in-depth knowledge of everything on the tour, audio-guides are available and I recommend you get one of these. These can be purchased at the start desk of the tour. For more details on the audio-guides, please see below.

Stops on the Camp Nou Experience Tour - Self-Guided Tour of Barcelona FC's stadium: 'Virtual Experience' - a ten minute 3D putting the FC stadium tour into context. Inside the 3D Virtual Experience There is a 3D show at the start of the FC Stadium tour. This is most likely to appeal to children, who will be excited by the 3D effects. Presumably, to appeal to all nationalities, no words are provided. It is intended to give you a sense of what it is like to be on the pitch during the match - images of famous football matches are shown in this 3D show. Football player visitor's changing room. Here you have an opportunity to walk around the stadium's away team changing room facilities. You may be surprised at how basic they are. I think the idea might be not to give the away team too many advantages! The communal bath I would like to have been able to see the changing rooms of the home team. According to the audio-guide these are far more impressive, including a meeting room, a spa, a treatment room and a pharmacy. FC Chapel FC chapel.

This was inaugurated in 1958 and blessed by Pope John Paul II in 1982. A last minute chance for the players to say a prayer or two. Players' tunnel to the pitch. Walking up the tunnel gives you a rush of excitement. It is an opportunity to feel how the players feel as they run up onto the pitch before a big game with 100,000 roaring fans at the end of the tunnel. Of course the stadium is empty on the day but with a little imagination you are there. The Benches (or 'Dug Out') - The Benches at the side of the Pitch. View from the press box If you are like me then this may be considered to be the most exciting part of the tour. This is the closest that you will get to the pitch itself - as if in the shoes of the team managers. Unaware of how impressive this would be, I was wowed by the 105 by 68 metre pitch and the 48 metre high stands. Imagine this filled with 100,000 passionate fans and you have an awesome back-scene perspective to a match at Barcelona FC from the eyes of the team leaders.

Barcelona FC press room. Press room This area seats 120 journalists. It is where press conferences happen before and after matches. Two players face the press after each match, chosen in relation to what has happened in their lives both on and off the pitch. Mixed Zone - the press area for post-match comments from the teams. The site of those interview moments that you've seen a thousand times on the sports news. "Well, Alan, I think we played a good game". Here you will recognise the blue background and the sponsor's logos. It is a buzz to see it in the flesh. Foundation room - corporate hospitality area. The area where sponsors mingle in comfort before and after the match. Miró lithograph. Classic posters inside the museum For more information on what is available at the museum please see below: Review of museum. It is worth noting that the tour of the stadium, minus the museum is comprehensive and could take a couple of hours. If you plan on doing a thorough visit of the museum as well you may want to bring a snack for energy. Review of FC audio-guide The audio guide handset You can purchase the audio-guide at the entrance to the Barcelona FC Camp Nou Experience Tour.

The audio guide consists of a small pack that can be hung around your neck and one earpiece that is hooked around your ear. The tour is controlled in the same way that you can control a CD Walkman - each stop of the tour has a number that correlates to a number on the audio-guide. It is your job to press play and scroll to the number of your choice when you reach that correct location. It is also possible to listen to each section as many times as you choose to. This is useful if there is information that you have missed and would like to hear again. When hiring the guide pack you will be asked to provide some kind of I.D. to act as a deposit. It may be worth ensuring that you have a bankcard so that you don't have to hand over your passport. I found the audio-guide to be a welcome addition to the trip. It helps to put into context what you see at each stop. It also provides you with more detail than what is available on the information boards. Barcelona FC Museum and Stadium Tour Price: Adults: €25.00 Languages: Catalan, Spanish, English, French, Italian, German and Dutch.

Review of Museum The Museum is split into three sections: The Historic Museum section of FC Barcelona Museum. This is the largest part of the museum. It leads you on a chronological journey through the history of the club, starting with its birth in 1899. One of the many trophy cabinets If you are more interested in cups than history, you won't be disappointed. Cabinets crammed with the club's major achievements are on show are here. The all-important Champions League Cup is also there. It can even be touched, for a price. There is a photograph opportunity in the museum, where you and your friends can hold the cup aloft for a photograph. This will cost €13.00 and can be purchased at the exit from the museum. European Champion's League Cup If you don't want the photograph, you are not obliged to buy it. So, there's nothing stopping you from getting up close and personal to the Champions League Cup, even if you don't have a spare €13.00 in your back pocket! 'Futbol art' Collection section of FC Barcelona Museum This section is slightly more vague.

It houses much memorabilia to do with sport - everything from old table football tables to football memorabilia and artworks. Temporary Exhibition section of FC Barcelona Museum This section of the museum constantly changes. On my visit there was an exhibition about Joan Gamper - the man who founded Barcelona FC. Overall, the museum is focused on visual displays. I felt that a careful balance had been struck to ensure that information is provided without an overload. It covers all aspects of the club in detail and follows a logical order. How to purchase tickets for the Barcelona FC Museum and Camp Nou Experience tour Avoid queuing, buy your Barcelona FC tour tickets online FC stadium tour tickets can be purchased most easily online. The advantage to purchasing online is that you have priority access over normal tickets purchased on the day. With the online tickets you go to an express entrance at the FC stadium which is specifically for internet purchases - the details are given on the ticket when you purchase it online. Because the internet tickets have been purchased in advance there is no need to queue. In addition with this type of ticket you do not need to print out the ticket itself you can simply show your booking voucher on your smartphone at the entrance.

We recommend to purchase these online tickets at least 4 to 7 days in advance of your visit. Although you can purchase these tickets up to 3 days before you intend to visit it will depend on availbility. If however you book at least 4 to 7 days ahead you will not have any problems. Of course you can buy these tickets several months in advance if you wish. You can visit the stadium any time during opening hours of the tour. Once you have made your booking you can either print out your tickets or bring your smartphone along to show your E-tickets. Make sure that you also bring photographic I.D with you such as a passport or driving license as you may be asked for this when presenting your internet tickets. We recommend buying online from the link we have provided below if you want to avoid the entrance queues especially during the peak seasons April - September. Jump the queue tickets for Barcelona FC Stadium and Museum Tour (Camp Nou Experience) . Buying tickets on the day If you want to brave the queues purchase tickets on the day from the ticket booth at Access 9.

Opening Hours for Access 9: Monday - Saturday: 10:00 - 18:15 Sunday: 10:00 - 14:30 The Camp Nou Experience tour will satisfy football lovers from all over the world. The tour gives you unfettered access to 'behind the scenes' action - you will see where it all happens during the matches. The Museum tour is concise, entertaining and will appeal to a wide range of fans of all ages. On my visit it was easy to see why Camp Nou is one of Barcelona's number one tourist attractions and a must visit for any serious football fan visiting Barcelona. If you are interested in attending a football match at Barcelona FC and would like to find out how to purchase your tickets in advance of your trip see our article on How to purchase Barcelona FC match tickets . Related Pages FC Barcelona : The Club FC Barcelona : The Club All about The FC Barcelona!

Full name: Futbol Club Barcelona Nicknames: Barça, Culés (or Culers), Blaugranes (Blue-Maroon) Founded: 29 November 1899 (as Foot-Ball Club Barcelona) Ground: Camp Nou , Barcelona, Spain Capacity: 98,787 League: La Liga Futbol Club Barcelona, known familiarly as Barça, is a sports club based in Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain. It is best known for its football team. It was founded in 1899 by a group of Swiss, English, and Catalan men led by Joan Gamper. The club has become a Catalan institution, hence the motto Més que un club (More than a club). They were founding members of La Liga in 1928, and, together with Real Madrid and Athletic Bilbao, they have never been relegated from the Primera División. The club were also the first La Liga champions.

With 21 La Liga, 24 Copa del Rey, 9 Supercopa de España, 33 Joan Gamper Trophy, 4 UEFA Champions League, 4 UEFA Cup Winners' Cup, 3 Inter-Cities Fairs Cup/UEFA Cup and 4 European Super Cup trophies, the club is considered to be one of the most successful clubs in football history in Spain, in Europe and in the entire world. The club's main stadium is the Camp Nou and the fans of FC Barcelona are known as culers or culés. In June 2007, the number of socis (club members/owners) reached 156.366, while in June 2006 the number of penyes (officially-registered supporter clubs) reached 1782 worldwide. The club also operates a reserve team, FC Barcelona B, a youth team FC Barcelona C and four other professional sports teams, AXA FC Barcelona, FC Barcelona, FC Barcelona Futsal and FC Barcelona Sorli Discau that compete at basketball, handball, futsal and rink hockey respectively.

There are also a number of prominent amateur sports teams that compete at rugby union, women's football and wheelchair basketball. These include FCB Rugby and FC Barcelona-Institut Guttman. Other amateur teams represent the club at ice hockey, athletics, baseball, cycling, field hockey, figure skating, and volleyball. During the 2006-07 season, FC Barcelona was the second richest club in the world with an estimated revenue of €290.1 million Barcelona Football Stadium Guide Barcelona Football Stadium Guide Page Content The Barcelona football stadium is the 3rd largest football stadium in the World after the stadiums in Sao Paulo, Brazil and Mexico City. Barcelona Camp Nou has a capacity of 110,000 people and on every match practically every seat is taken -such is the passion for football shared by the Catalan people. This page has essential information on the Barcelona football stadium including details of the Barcelona FC tour of the stadium and museum and details how to buy FC Barcelona match tickets. Barcelona FC Tickets Barcelona football stadium Camp Nou Try and buy your football tickets in advance to ensure you get to see the match.

Ticket touts do sell Barcelona football tickets outside the main entrance but you will be paying a lot more than the cover price for these tickets. Barcelona FC Tickets go on sale a week before the match and you can purchase them from La Caixa cash dispensing machines if you have a visa card issued in Spain. If not you can purchase them from the Barcelona FC Stadium itself. Barcelona FC Stadium Tour This tour is the THE most popular tour in Barcelona. We recommend that if you really want to go on this tour you book your Barcelona FC tour tickets before you arrive. Reserve your Barcelona FC tour tickets in advance of your visit. Get to see the grounds and pitch area and access to the football museum along with a self-guided tour of the players dressing room, press conference area, VIP lounge along with the opportunity to sit in the players benches and the VIP seats - the best seats in the stadium.

Question: Which is the home ground of FC Barcelona?
Answer: Nou Camp